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Sunday, March 6, 2011

Daniel Ethier on cognitive load theory

Cognitive load theory has much to say about the educational implications of our limited working memory on learning.

As I read various papers on cognitive load theory, I keep having aha moments as I find reasons for things I see in the classroom.

The key to getting around our limited working memory is automaticity. If you know something well enough to not have to think about it, it does not take up working memory. And so you are free to think about the problem you're trying to solve.

Use Google Scholar and read some of the many papers about various aspects of cognitive load theory. Well worth the time.

1 comment:

I have found that using "automaticity" in place of "memorization" lets me get around the stigma of the latter word while retaining its basic meaning. And "automaticity" sounds cool, so people don't press.